Some 5,000 years on archaeologists believe the ruins could unlock the secrets of the Indus Valley people, who flourished around 3,000 BC in what is now India and Pakistan before mysteriously disappearing.

“Everybody knows Egypt, nobody knows Mohenjo Daro, this has to be changed,” says Dr Michael Jansen, a German researcher working at the sun-baked site on the banks of the Indus river in Pakistan's southern Sindh province.

People walk through the streets of Mohenjo Daro. — AFP

Jansen is at the forefront of a new effort to promote the site internationally while finding ways to protect what is left.

In summer temperatures can soar above 46°C.

“There is enormous thermo-stress,” says Jansen, adding that salt from the underground water table is also damaging the ruins.

But it's more than just the weather and time. Pakistan's bloody fight against militancy has also raised the spectre of destruction by an Islamist group, much like Islamic State destroyed the ruins in Syria's Palmyra.

Most horrifying, however, is the wanton disregard for Mohenjo Daro -- or “mound of the dead” -- by ordinary citizens.

Ismail Mugheri, points out a two-story well at the site — AFP

In 2014 police stood atop the main stupa as hundreds of people swarmed the site to, ironically, commemorate Pakistan's cultural heritage — complete with scaffolding, dancing, fireworks, heavy spotlights and lasers.

Sardar Ali Shah, cultural minister in Sindh province, vowed never to let such a thing happen again.
“It's like you are jumping on the bed bed of a 5,000-year-old ailing patient,” he tells AFP.

— AFP

Yet today curious visitors still roam the remains with impunity, many leaving rubbish in the once pristine-streets and wells.

'Foreigners are afraid'

Jansen and his Friends of Mohenjo Daro society aim to promote the site internationally, with plans to recruit Pakistanis around the world for conferences, seminars and debates.

Dr Kaleem Lashari, chief consultant to the Pakistani government over Mohenjo Daro, said they will also digitally archive the Indus script -- which has never been deciphered -- in hopes that making it accessible will increase the site's profile.

The city that once prospered. — AFP

At the site itself, he said, technical reviews are being held to examine the water logging issue and other ways to shore up the ruins, while exploring new, modern technology that allows researchers to ascertain what lies beneath the surface in the portions of the city not yet excavated.

The layout of the city itself suggests an egalitarian people more concerned with cleanliness than hierarchy, says Dr Jonathan Mark Kenoyer of the University of Wisconsin.

“In Mesopotamia, the streets went from the city to the palace ... whereas in (Indus) cities all the streets were organised to allow access to the whole city,” he says.

Caretaker at the UNESCO World Heritage archaeological site of Mohenjo Daro, Ismail Mugheri, points out a well at the site some 425km north of Karachi. — AFP

Mohenjo Daro had a complex water and waste management system which observers have wryly noted was better than in many parts of Pakistan today.

Only a small portion of the site has been excavated properly, but the most important building appears not to have been a palace or a place of worship, but a massive public bath.

Houses had tiled bathrooms and their own cylindrical brick wells, sometimes raised to the second floor to allow for a flush system.

None of this, however,has yet explained why such a powerful, advanced and flourishing civilisation disappeared so abruptly around 1900 BC.

The bath of Mohenjo Daro — AFP

Currently, there is no bid to excavate further among the plans being laid by Lashari and Jansen. “It is actually preserved when it is buried,” explains Harvard University's Dr Richard Meadow.

Despite their access to new technologies, that puts researchers in a quandary, especially as they try to understand what happened to the Indus people. As Jansen says, the “best way to learn information is to excavate.”

But mysteries take time to solve: for now, the researchers say, they will settle for ensuring that Mohenjo Daro endures for a few centuries more.

Comments (34) Closed

ZubairMay 16, 2017 12:13pm

With the recent release of the Indian movie about the history of this place, this is an opportunity to offer citizens of India visas to come an see the site. Whether we agree with the movie or not, there is no denying the marketing Platform it has given to Mohenjo Daro

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najiMay 16, 2017 01:22pm

We are (govt. of Sindh) ruining new 20th century cities, how they can protect 5000 years old ancient city?

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Mr. WhigMay 16, 2017 02:25pm

I wish to visit this site from where India and Hinduism started its journey.

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INDIANMay 16, 2017 02:33pm

I want to visit pakistan to see this wonderful place

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MultaniMay 16, 2017 02:37pm

It is good to see that officials are somewhat identifying themselves with this history otherwise, most of the people do not know exact history of the region prior to 1947.

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AmarMay 16, 2017 02:49pm

Pakistan can't even take care of existing places & marvels but want to add new. What a disheartening thing to read the condition of such an old heritage.

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South AsiaMay 16, 2017 02:57pm

The Great Hindu Civilization..Beautiful.

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The_TruthMay 16, 2017 03:26pm

Beautiful. But can expect it from Sindh government. They are not able to set Karachi garbage free. What will they do for the Mohenjo-Daro. Maybe Nawaz Sharif can do something to protect the legacy of our motherland.

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M. EmadMay 16, 2017 04:49pm

Bronze Age Mohenjo Daro (Indus valley civilisation) people moved towards South-India, Bengal region due to climate change. Modern descendants of Mohenjo Daro people not live in Sindh.

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Jamil Soomro, NEW YORK CITYMay 16, 2017 05:31pm

@M. Emad I am surprised.You are from Pakistan and you don't know History of Pakistan?

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MACMay 16, 2017 08:11pm

Government won't do anything about it, all that is left of Moen-jo-Daro is;its chapter in history books and couple of blogs here and there.

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Emmanuel gudduMay 16, 2017 08:11pm

Nice but sorry we are losing our History

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praveen chopraMay 16, 2017 09:05pm

Mohenjo-Daro can be made a tourist paradise. People from the world over would love to see a 5000 year old civilisation but we'll preserved.Of course it would require pain staking efforts to attract tourists. Today the " Hanging Gardens of Babylon are just a memory with hardly any trace on the ground. Mahenjo- Daro need not meet the same fate.

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JavedMay 17, 2017 12:44am

The best foolproof way to save Mohenjo Daro for future generations is to cover it up again.

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SK JhaMay 17, 2017 11:26am

@M. Emad How you know? It's just a assumption of your mind

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SiDDHARTHaMay 17, 2017 11:35am

Is there any society who are raising fund to save Mohenjo-Daro? If there is please let the common people know.

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Shuaib May 17, 2017 12:36pm

What a rich history we Sindhi have, we are proud to be a Sindhi our Sindh government should take care of this world heritage.

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Shuaib May 17, 2017 12:36pm

@INDIAN you are welcome

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Shuaib May 17, 2017 12:37pm

@Mr. Whig come and visit Moen jo daro

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IMTIAZ ALI KHANMay 17, 2017 01:01pm

Where spirituality came into being. These sacred banks of Sindhu river, desert and her children showed the world the definition of civilization. Everyone in the world specially my Indian family should visit this sacred Sindh once in their life. It is where it all began for India and Hinduism. Proud of our Sindhu Dharti we are all Children of Sindhu Mataa always and always. May the Sindhu Dharti and her winds spread the message of love to all her Children specially India and Pakistan. I pray today that we all come together in love and one day my Indian family can come and meditate with me in the deserts of Sindhu Dharti.

To all the family of the greater Hind I'm you and you are me, the beautiful one family :)

Love, love and love to all from Sindh, Pakistan.

IndoPak Blood Brothers 4 Life!

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kashmiri HinduMay 17, 2017 01:56pm

I really wanted to visit Pakistan from quite sometime, and this is one of the major reason for that. Just afraid that the present political situation may create some problem for me, specially considering my background.

Hope one day this situation will improve so we common man can visit each others place.

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IjazMay 17, 2017 03:00pm

@Zubair

Great, so now Indian tourists as well as Pakistani ones can damage and litter the precious site!

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IMTIAZ ALI KHANMay 17, 2017 03:01pm

@kashmiri Hindu brother the feelings are mutual yaar :(

Religious/Spiritual visa trip we see many Hindu families from India come and visit Pakistan, those special sacred souls like Lord Shiva's devotes for Shivratri Celebration, Sikhs Pilgrims visit Pakistan in throngs every year. List Mohenjo-Daro etc., and other places you want to visit on the Pakistani Visa form, so you can have a detailed trip.

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HimanshuMay 17, 2017 05:34pm

Great to see this historical place of our ancestors in pictures. This is the only civilization which still has followers flourishing vedic or Hindu civilization . Traces of their rituals can still be tracked in our practice . Proud to be having great ancestors..

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Shekar KURUDI May 17, 2017 05:41pm

@Zubair My dream all my life is to visit Pakistan and I'm afraid it will remain just a dream. After visiting Pompei, Italy and Egypt I feel sad I can't visit place like mohenjo daro.

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AliMay 17, 2017 07:34pm

Mohenjo Daro even 5000 years back, was a city which was incredibly well planned with proper houses, markets, roads and sanitation. What needs to be saved are present day cities, which our governments have 'failed' to provide proper city planning, housing, roads, sanitation and green spaces?
Our ignorant politicians must learn from Mohenjo Daro.

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Vinay PandeyMay 18, 2017 07:25am

@IMTIAZ ALI KHAN : I appreciate your beautiful words.

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Hussain nagriMay 18, 2017 12:36pm

With history of 2500 BCE, one of the largest settlements of the ancient Indus alley civilization... Need to be saved for our younger generation...

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oricleMay 19, 2017 06:55am

We are all the people of Indus Civilization.
This is 8,000 years old,it predates Hinduism.
This civilization according to finding by European Archeologists that it was the first
in the world to practice true democracy as opposed the Athenian democracy and later
used as a subjugation tool of natives in colonies of the Europeans.
A moot point that the European countries
had jury system but in colonies they had
Assessor System that the Colonial Judge
had all the the rights to over rule the Assessors.
Pakistan can never be a country of the Arabs
for they will always will be the people of the
Indus and genes will prove that.
It has been previously and currently being noticed that people of certain beliefs are revisionist of the history be by neglect or
by destruction.

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SkyMay 19, 2017 08:30am

@M. Emad I agree, this is documented in some references that original inhabitants have moved to various parts of India, due to water bed going low. So people today in Pakistan Sindh are not same people of Indus valley residents. If Pakistanis connect with this heritage, domestic tourism would have thrived here.

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Desh bandhu ChopraMay 19, 2017 09:50am

Can I get a visa to visit this wonderful, ancient place?

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KalyanMay 19, 2017 10:45am

I am interested in an Indus Valley tour. How can I get more information? One clarification in the article that the central place was not a palace or place of worship but a large public bath is partially due to the European view perhaps based on Roman baths. If you associate that with the Theppakulams found in Dravidian temples, it is likely that this "bath" was most probably associated with a place of worship. Further excavation and preservation can yield a great deal.

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Jamil Soomro, NEW YORK CITYMay 19, 2017 04:46pm

@Sky How strange.You are also from Pakistan and you also don't know the History of Pakistan.Read the History and be proud of Sindhis the original Inhabitants of this Great Civilization the Moenjodaro discovered in 1922 in Sindh.